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A 170-year-old listed building could be turned into a swingers club with themed erotic rooms and a sex shop.

The former New County Hotel, a Grade 2 listed building in Southgate Street, Gloucester, will be a restaurant and bar open to the public by day but by night it will become a private members sex club.

Plans submitted by the company behind the plans, Mystique, to Gloucester City Council include a “fetish room for adult enjoyment”.

The application has been recommended for approval by planning officials and will be decided by councillors tomorrow.

From 11.30am to 3.30pm the “classy” restaurant would be open to the public with a menu with a “strong vegetarian and fishetarian theme”.

But between 5.30pm and 11pm the restaurant would only be available to adults with a menu with “sexy” adult titles.

The planning application states: “The private members club would comprise of an exclusive venue for people with alternative sexual lifestyles such as gay men and women, bisexual men and women, transvestites, cross dressers, cross genders, variables and swingers.

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“The club dance venue would be located within the existing ballroom, which again would be sexually themed and hosted by a resident DJ.

“In addition, there would be an internal adult shop available selling lingerie, toys and other items.

“The sexually themed open play rooms would be located on the first floor. The second floor would have 10 lockable themed rooms for overnight stays for members only.

“The third floor would be used for staff accommodation.”

Mystique says it would employ 20 people to work at the club and argues the plans would regenerate the run down building and bring a “vibrancy” to the area attracting visitors and sparking other investments.

The company said: “There are thousands of gay and alternative lifestylers and hundreds of swingers and people of alternative sexualities in Gloucestershire who have no dedicated venue to meet like-minded people.

“On the whole these people are ridiculed, victimised and discriminated against because of their sexuality.”

Members of the City Centre Community Partnership were asked their views on the plans and 60% were opposed to it on the grounds that it was against the drive to make the shopping area family friendly.

And 23% of those people said they were “deeply offended”.

Three letters of objection have been received by the council.

Gloucestershire Police raised no objections to the plans.

Mike Gethin, senior planning officer at Gloucester City Council, has backed the plans on the grounds that the club would add “vitality and vibrancy” to the street.

He said: “This application has been carefully assessed and it is considered that its determination cannot be based on moral issues because they are not planning matters.”

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Mr Gethin’s 14-page report said national policy guidance “encourages authorities to promote a diversity of different uses in town and city centres, which allow a genuine choice to meet the needs of the entire community, and particularly the needs of socially excluded groups.”

Formerly known as The Ram Inn, the New County Hotel was built in 1840 and extended in 1890. Until the 1980s it was regarded as Gloucester’s premier hotel but closed in June last year and has been empty since.

It is next door to the house where Robert Raikes founded Sunday Schoos in the 18th century.